Photographer Tanguy Troude – Fashion Editor Sara Medali – Model Diane Guais at Maxence Orard – Makeup by Amélie Moutia – Hair by Malin Wallin – Set Design by Felix Lapierre – Photography Assistant Gaëtan Delalande – Set assistant Louis Barrau – Interview by Melania Musci // Jacket – Hugo Boss Vintage // Total Look Jil Sander // Jacket Hugo Boss Vintage – Shorts Balenciaga Vintage – Boots Aigle
Robe Blumarine – Body Escada Vintage – Tights Falke – Shoes Vanda Novak / Top and Shorts Blumarine – Tights Falke
Diane, was there a specific moment when you realised that modelling was transitioning from something temporary into a genuine career path for you?
I think it was when I signed my exclusive contract with Celine, just as Hedi Slimane had taken over as artistic director. It was my first major contract with a brand of that scale, and one of the most anticipated shows of the season. Being part of it felt both surreal and exciting!
Now that you’re working as a model, do you still see fashion as a passion, or is it just a job to you?
It really depends on the type of job. Sometimes, modelling can be physically and mentally exhausting — it truly feels like work, with long hours and a lot of repetition. However, when I’m involved in creative projects with beautiful styling, unique concepts, and inspiring locations, it becomes something much more meaningful. In those moments, I don’t see it as just a job; I feel genuinely passionate and creatively fulfilled.
How do you mentally prepare yourself right before stepping out onto the runway?
Just before going on the runway, I take a moment to calm myself. Backstage is usually full of energy: noise, movement, last-minute changes. It can be a bit overwhelming, so I take a few deep breaths, ground myself, and try to be fully present in the moment. I remind myself that it’s not just about walking — it’s about embodying the mood of the show, the atmosphere. It’s almost like stepping into a role or a rhythm, and once I’m on the runway, everything else fades away.
Body Escada Vintage – Earrings Oscar de la Renta / Top Chloé Vintage – Tights Falke
How would you describe your personal style?
I’d say I’m drawn to timeless and romantic clothes, like lace, vintage dresses, and pastel colours — especially pale pink. I always wear boots that have a bit of a ’70s vibe, both in winter and summer (Laughs, E.D.).
Having worked as both a model in front of the camera and a filmmaker behind it, which role do you enjoy more?
I enjoy modelling and the creative teamwork it involves, but my real passion has always been behind the camera. Ever since I was a child, I’ve had a camera in my hands. There’s a unique kind of freedom in it. It allows me to express myself fully — to explore emotion, light, movement. Filmmaking gives me the space to observe and create an atmospheres. So, while I value both roles, I definitely feel more at home and creatively fulfilled when I’m directing or shooting.
Total Look Courrèges
What are the most important skills for both your professions, filmmaking and modelling?
Even though filmmaking and modelling might seem very different, I think they both require a strong sense of sensitivity and presence. In modelling, it’s important to connect with the camera, to express emotion without words, and to adapt to different moods and creative directions. It’s not just about physical appearance, but it’s about embodying a story or a feeling, often intuitively and with subtlety. In filmmaking, especially when working independently, you need a wide range of skills: creative vision, an eye for composition, attention to detail. But at the core of both professions, I believe what matters most is the ability to observe, to feel, and to collaborate with others to bring a shared vision to life.
Outside of your work in the fashion industry, what are your personal passions or hobbies?
Outside of my work in the fashion industry, I’m passionate about literature. I’m currently working on a novel which is a slow, intimate process, but very rewarding. I also create personal, experimental films: visual explorations that often revolve around nature, beauty, and death. These films are like quiet meditations for me.
Jacket Vintage – Tights Dior Vintage – Shoes Vandal Novak / Jacket Hugo Boss Vintage – Shorts Balenciaga Vintage – Boots Aigle
Your Instagram account has kind of a vintage quality to it. Is there a specific era you’d love to have lived in?
I love old photographs, vintage houses, old films from the French New Wave, for example, or directors like Robert Bresson, Andrei Tarkovsky, and Ingmar Bergman, to mention just a few. That’s probably what gives my Instagram its vintage feel. That said, I don’t necessarily wish I had lived in another time. I think I just enjoy the idea of briefly stepping into the past, as if time-travelling for a moment.
What are three things you always pack, no matter where you’re going?
The first thing I always pack is my notebook. I never go anywhere without it. It’s where I write down thoughts, fragments of ideas, dreams, or just observations from the world around me. The second would probably be a book. There’s always one in my bag, usually something poetic or thought-provoking that I can turn to for inspiration, like Alejandra Pizarnik’s diaries or Béatrice Douvre’s poetry. And the third is my video camera, especially when I travel. These three things — writing, reading, and observing — are like anchors for me, no matter where I go.
What’s the last song you added to your playlist?
‘Cherry-coloured Funk’ by Cocteau Twins. There’s a strange, dreamlike melancholy in that song that really speaks to me. I listen to it a lot while writing; it helps me sink into a certain atmosphere, somewhere between beauty and sadness.
Body Escada Vintage – Earrings Oscar de la Renta – Tights Falke – Shoes Vanda Novak / Total Look Jil Sander